Screen printing machine



SCREEN PRINTING MACEINE Filed Oct. l, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 4, 1939.V J. s. wHEELwRlGHT SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE Filed Oct. l. 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @CMD Oo Patented July 1939 SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE John Sylvester Wheelwright, London, E'lngland,

assigner to J. S. Wheelwright Limited, London, England, a British company Application October 1, 1936, Serial No. 103,584 In Great Britain January 10, 1936 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved carrier or frame for a screen for use in screenprinting.

In screen printing, it has been usual to mount the screen in a frame and lay this upon the surface to receive the printing impression, whereupon colour is transferred through the screen by means of a squeegee or the like, to the surface below it, whereupon the screen is lifted and transferred to a second place upon a textile or other web or sheet receiving the printing impressions. In such machines it is desirable to lift the screen at one end prior to lifting it at the other end to avoid the tendency of the printed fabric or the like web from lifting with the screen in its removal.

The device of the present invention provides a simple carriage for the screen which enables the screen to be rapidly transferred from one printing position to another, and for the screen to be lifted away from the fabric web or the like on the table of the machine after it has received the printing impression by a tilting action.

The screen printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a frame or carrier having means for securing a screen thereto, which frame is capable of pivoting about an axis at or adjacent one edge thereof to raise and lower the screen relatively to the printing table, bench or the like, and is displaceable in the direction of the pivotal axis only when in a raised position.

Preferably the frame is provided at one edge with aligned wheels, rollers or the like adapted to engage a rail about which the frame is capable of angular displacement and .along which it is capable of longitudinal displacement when in a raised position. A handle or handles may be provided at the opposite edge of the frame for convenience in lifting and traversing the frame.

'I'he invention is more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings-in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View. Figure 2 is a plan view on a larger scale with certain parts removed to show other parts.

Figure 3 is an end view of a detail and Figure 4 is a side view of one of the parts shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an illustration of a. further detail shown in Figure 1.

The frame consists of a longitudinal channel member I, a longitudinal angle member 2, and side angle members 3, 4, secured together by welding. Wheels 5 adapted to run along a rail 6 are connected to the frame through levers I pivoted on xed pins 8 and adjusted as to their angular (Cl. lOl- 114) position and thus as to the position of the wheels 5 depthwise of the frame, by means of an eccentric 9 operated by a lever I0 and journalled on a fixed pin II. The eccentric 9 can be locked in any adjusted position by means of a nut, preferably a 5 wing nut I2, threaded on the pin II. A printing screen I3 secured in the frame is arranged to lie flat upon the printing table I4 when the frame'is in its lowered position.

The side I5 of the screen I3 will always engage l the table irrespective of the vertical position of the side I 6 and the adjustment described above for the depthwise position of the wheels 5 enables the position of the side I6 of the screen to be accurately adjusted so that the whole screen lies 15 exactly flat on the table when the frame is in its lowered position. The screen I3 is providedwith metal lugs II at each corner, three lugs having a. pin I8, one pin engaging a socket I9 for location of the screen in the frame, another pin I8 engaging 20 the open socket 2l whilst the other engages with a y longitudinal slot 20 thus enabling screens of different length to be tted in the frame. The other lug engages under the rail 22.

The longitudinal member I is provided with an 25 overhanging angle 22 shown in plan View in Figure 1 and shown in section in Figure 2, the horizontal flange of the angle 22 being spaced upwardly from the frame member I to receive the lugs I7 of the screen so as to prevent the lugs and 30 screen from lifting at that side of the frame. To prevent the lugs II and the screen from lifting on the other side of the frame an angle member 23 is pivoted at 24 and 25 to the longitudinal frame member 2 and is held in the closed position shown 35 in Figure 1 by means of pivoted clips 26. The angle member is shown in its open position in Figure 2 and in Figure 3.

For raising and lowering the frame and for traversing it along the rail 6 a handle 21 is con- 40 nected to that side of the frame remote from the rail 6. If desired, of course, two such handle could be provided. A l

For location of the frame at diierent positions lengthwise of the table I4 socket members 28 are 45 secured at spaced intervals along the table, for instance, they may be secured to a rail 29 alongside the table.

Each socket member has a slot 30 to receive a relatively short depending pin 3i which is mounted 50 in a bracket 32 connected to the transverse frame Ymember 33. The bracket 32 also supports a longer pin 34 which is adapted for engagement with inwardly extending lugs 35 provided on one side of the slot 30 of each socket member 28. 'Ihus 65 frame I, 2, 3, 4 is traversed along the table I 4 in a raised position, when the frame reaches the next printing position the pin 34 will engage the lugs 35, whereupon on lowering of the frame the pin 3| will engage in the slot 30 to locate the frame in position and to prevent any longitudinal return movement of the frame. A cross-bar or rod 31 is pivoted to the frame and has downwardly projecting arms 38 adapted to rest on longitudinal member of the machine frame as shown to support the frame in a raised p osition. Lugs 39, 40, extend inwardly towards the frame from the crossbar 31 to limit the angular displacement thereof.

It will be appreciated that the present invention provides a frame which will be relatively light in construction and inexpensive to manufacture, and which will be relatively simple to handle.

It is to be understood that the above description represents one form only of this apparatus and there are many ways of carrying the invention into practice. For instance, the frame may be made wholly or partly of tube, either welded, brazed or otherwise joined, or set into castings, stampings, mouldings, etc., or other similar means; the wheels may be adjusted as to their position depthwise of the.frame by means of a simple screw or slider or other gear; the angle rail 22 may be replaced by a bar tube or other section to perform the same function; the angle member 23 may be dispensed with and the securing of the lugs at this end of the carriage may be performed by means of wing buttons, sliders or clamping bars in any one of several combinations; the handles may be replaced by a handrail or other device and so forth.

I declare that what I claim is:

1. A screen printing apparatus comprising in combination a frame, means for securing a screen thereto, a table, a rail along one side only of the table, wheels on one side alone of the frame slidable along said rail, and lugs locking the said frame against displacement along said rail except when it lies at an angle to the horizontal plane of the table.

2. A screen printing apparatus comprising in combination a frame, means for securing a screen thereto, a table, a rail along one side only of the table, rollers on said frame engaging said rail and slidable along said rail, and lugs locking the said frame against displacement along said rali except when it lies at an angle to the horizontal plane of the table.

3. A screen printing apparatus comprising in combination a frame, means for securing a screen thereto, a table, a rail along one side only of the table, rollers on said frame engaging in said rail and slidable along said rail, and lugs locking the said frame against displacement along said rail except when it lies at an angle to the horizontal plane of the table, and means to adjust said rollers relatively to said frame. v

4. A screen printing apparatus comprising in combination a frame, means for securing a screen thereto, a table, a rail along one side of the table. wheels on one side alone of the frame slidable along said rail, and lugs locking the said frame against displacement along said rail, except when it lies at an angle to the horizontal plane of the table upon said frame opposite to said rail and spaced lugs on the table for locating said frame relatively to the table.

5. A screen printing apparatus comprising in combination a frame, means for securing a screen thereto, a table, a rail along one side of the table, wheels on one side alone of the frame slidable along said rail, lugs locking the said frame against displacement along said rail, except when it lies at an angle to the horizontal plane of the table, a pin on said frame opposite to said wheels and cooperating with said lug, a second pin on said frame and a second rail opposite first rail to engage said second pin to hold the frame in an adjusted position inclined to the horizontal plane.

6. A screen printing apparatus comprising in combination a frame, means for securing a screen thereto, a table, a rail along one side of the table, a wheel on one side alone of the frame slidable along said rail, a lug locking the said frame against displacement along said rail, except when it lies at an angle to the horizontal plane of the table, a pivoted pin on said frame opposite to said wheel, a rail co-operating with said pin to hold the frame in an adjusted position inclined to the horizontal plane and means to swing said pin into an inoperative position when the frame is to be lowered.

7. A screen printing apparatus comprising in combination a frame, means for securing a screen thereto, a table, a rail on one side of said table, a wheel on one side alone of the frame slidable alongsaid rail, a lug locking the said frame against displacement along said rail, except when it lies at an angle to the horizontal plane of thel table and locating pins and locating means on said screen and said frame respectively.

JOHN SYLVESTER WHEELWRIGHT. 

